A lot of adrenaline, but under control

In early May, we revealed the arrival of the 2023 BMW S 1000 RR line on the Brazilian market, the German superbike that was first launched in 2009 and has since become a reference in its segment. The good news is that the bike has received significant improvements. The great news is that it has not lost its main features.

The main thing about the BMW S 1000 RR has always been the fact that it is a real sports car – that is, aerodynamic, powerful and exciting – but without being too hard to drive, too explosive, like some of its competitors. Well then: the bike remains the same even with more power and other improvements. Time to take action in one of cycling’s natural habitats: Interlagos Circuit, in São Paulo.

How to ride a BMW S 1000 RR

This was the fourth or fifth time I rode the BMW S 1000 RR and, like the previous ones, the bike surprised me again. The first contact, the visual, is always interesting: it is a motorcycle more stylish than beautiful, but its aggressive and different look is provocative. Symmetric front optics are definitely cooler than the “single eye” of years past.

I sat on the bench and … surprise: nothing too difficult. Of course, it is far from being as comfortable as a special chair, but it is better than some direct competitors. The riding position is also pleasant: the pilot does not lean too far forward, and the legs are not bent absurdly back. But it’s sporty – so the fit isn’t quite right.

The first laps on the Interlagos track were done at a low speed, to remind yourself of the circuit and the best lines in many corners. Here comes another beauty of the bike: the response in low and medium revs is pleasant and fully controllable. The bike doesn’t scream for you to go down or scream for you to go up.

In the following laps, I slowly increased the speed. The beefed-up rider on the triple doesn’t make much of a difference to a non-cyclist like me, but anyone pushing this bike to the limit on track days and closed tracks will feel the extra power “up there”.

The big selling points of the BMW S 1000 RR are handling – if the rider uses common sense, the bike is “in hand” – and ease of control. In terms of power, it’s like you’re on a bike that’s small and light, but incredibly powerful.

On the straights, quite calm. In the curves, you discover the limits at every turn and “let your hair down” more and more. When you brake, hold it up so you don’t get pulled out, that’s the efficiency of the system. A change of gear? Forget the cluster, use and abuse the shifter and enjoy making the inline four scream with the custom Akrapovic exhaust.

With all this working as a precision tool, the operator only needs to worry about riding the bike and getting fun and adrenaline-filled experiences from it, but always under control. In this regard, by the way, here is a quick comparison of the context with the main competitors: almost all of them are more explosive and difficult to ride, especially for those who are not used to superbikes.

And it requires attention to ride this bike: on it, you always have the feeling that you are at a lower speed than you really are, and the next corners always come faster than you expect. Noise levels and – especially – vibrations reinforce this feeling. By the way, the new taller bubble was an improvement: zero turbulence in the hood!

As in every modern sports car, the BMW S 1000 RR has many electronic devices on board, and it is possible to make many adjustments. In Germany, in particular, this is less difficult than in other Japanese and European rivals. I set the riding mode to “road”, less nervous than the more professional “sport”.

The new electronic shift assistants, by the way, really work. In two pushes of the bar, certainly at the entrance and, later on the exit of the curve, the bike found a better way. Nice!

Finally, it is worth highlighting the instrument panel in front of me, which showed ease of consultation and excellent lighting: I could see everything, even under a very bright day. And how perfect!

What changed in the 2023 line

In the 2023 line, the S 1000 RR got a slightly higher windshield (which produces less friction on the helmet than before), redesigned side fairings with a shorter tail and a USB port. And, most importantly, aerodynamic front and side wings, which can generate 17.1 kg of aerodynamic force (downforce) in front of the bike.

This load significantly reduces the tendency of the front wheel to leave the pavement, even during acceleration. Where traction control works less, more power is converted into acceleration and the bike’s performance is improved. The wings also compensate for the increased drag caused by the taller mirror.

Related Offers: Brand:BMW Model:S-1000-RR

In the mechanical part, the bike now has as a standard item in all versions the “M chassis” equipment on the rear suspension, the Akrapovic exhaust pipe in titanium and carbon fiber, the rear wheel with easy removal and the lithium battery (lighter than usual. )

In addition, all versions now have the cylinder head, air intake box and air filter that were previously exclusive to the M 1000 RR version. These changes gave the engine 3 hp more power – now it is 210 hp.

Electronics have also been enhanced

In the electronics section, the improvements are two new pilot aids: slide brake assist and slide control. The first helps the pilot to control the slip when entering the curves and the second, to control the slip of the rear wheel when exiting the curves.

The implementation of these features was made possible by the installation of a new steering angle sensor, which is located on the lower bracket of the front suspension. The sensor measures the angle of the handle position and, together with the traction control, ensures optimal sliding. Additionally, traction control modes 2 and 3 are optimized for race tracks and slick tire use.

Related Offers: Brand:BMW Model:S-1000-RR-M

Still in electronics, one more novelty on the instrument panel: now, the last configured screen appears after the motorcycle is turned on. That is, it is no longer necessary to configure all the settings for each trip. And it’s worth noting that the bike has seven mounts, four fixed and three customizable

In addition, the instrument cluster can display four screen options – Clean Clean, with the speedometer highlighted; Core Ride 1, which shows a tachometer and shows lean angle, traction control and deceleration indicator; Core Ride 2, with the same tachometer but with a timer; and the Core Ride 3, which features a calibrated tachometer and adds a lean angle and lap timer.

the simplest chassis

The bicycle chassis is open in the side sections. With this, its structural flexibility was improved. After all, the motorcycle chassis can’t distort too much, but it can’t distort “too little” either.

The changes brought new geometry, with the front wheel 6m further forward and the wheelbase 1.6cm longer. According to BMW, the new measurements have increased the precision and sensitivity of the front wheel control.

engine and transmission

The engine of the S 1000 RR is the familiar four-cylinder inline injection 999 cm³, water-cooled and variable valve timing.

Now, there is 210 hp at 13,750 rpm and a torque of 11.4 kgf.m at 11,000 rpm. The dry weight is 197 kg, but in running order, it is close to 210 kg – which gives an incredible weight / power ratio of 1 kg per horse produced by the engine. The exchange has six marches, and a secondary chain, while the tank takes 16.5 liters.

serial objects

All versions are obviously well equipped, but there are differences between the versions. Check out the list below:

serial objects: ABS Pro, front and rear suspension with compression, rebound and preload adjustments, damper operation, assistants to start ramps and Pro gear change (quickshifter), lithium battery, BMW ABS Race, brake slide support and slide control, traction control, chain endurance, full LED lighting, electronic immobilizer, adjustable brakes and clutch levers, rain, road, racing, race modes and dynamic driving modes, 6.5-inch TFT panel and connection with light alloy wheels.

Premium Package: active suspension control, cruise control, passenger/single seat, heated grips, tire pressure monitoring, Akrapovic exhaust and USB port on sterdrive.

Premium Package M: M seat, forged wheels, M brake calipers and brake lever guard.

M Carbon Premium Package: carbon fiber wheels, fenders, chain cover, sprocket cover and carbon fiber side fairings.

Related Offers: Brand:BMW Model:S-1000-RR-HP4-COMPETITION

Price and competitors

The AS 1000 RR line 2023 arrived with prices ranging from R$125,900 to R$169,900. Prices are high but competitive. So much so that the German is the best-selling sports car in the Brazilian market. Ahead of him in the monthly sales rankings, only the Yamaha YZF-R3 usually appears, which has a 320 cm³ twin cylinder engine and costs less. And even then the difference in amount is not very big.

But the S 1000 RR outsells its main direct competitors – Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Ducati Panigale and Suzuki GSX-R 1000R, among others not quoted. Do you want more internal respect? Brazil is the second country in the world that buys the model the most, after the United States.